Field of the Invention
This invention relates to packaging of electrical or electronic components.
It is desirable to package electrical or electronic components within containers and/or on racks of certain standard sizes and that electrical or electronic components and hardware therefor should be of certain standard sizes to be receivable within containers and/or on racks.
With this in mind a number of companies have devised modular units and, recently, certain sizes have been agreed upon as being desirable standards.
In particular, reference is made to an I.E.C. document which is referred to as I.E.C. TC - 13-217. The standards suggested therein are now coming to be accepted.
One undesirable consequence of the standards specified by I.E.C. is that in certain situations it is necessary to use sheets of metal of thickness of about 1.4 mm and width of about 450 mm which are supported at their sides but not across their width. Such sheets are too thin to support their own weight and often sag. Whilst thickening the unsupported edge or securing it to a cross-member would give the desired strength and stiffness, so doing would probably result in the container, racking or other electronic component support means of which the sheet formed part ceasing to comply with these I.E.C. standards.
Since these solutions to the problem are unacceptable, this invention has an object the stiffening of such sheets without causing non-compliance with I.E.C. standards.